Unless the female breasts are suitably restrained, vigorous body movements involved in athletic activities such as running, jogging, aerobics, and track events cause the breasts to bounce and bob relative to the torso. It is known that such breast movement will, over a period of time, result in permanent breast sag. This is especially the situation, but not exclusively so, for larger or already pendulous breasts. A woman looking to a long life should and does care about this problem, because there is only disadvantage in what ultimately occurs to the breasts.
However, not all problems are as long range in effect. For example, the activities are usually engaged in for pleasure, for profit, and often for competition with others. Concentration on the activity is essential when engaged in competition. The distraction caused by uncomfortable bobbing of the breasts and of attendant discomfort is deleterious to serious efforts. If the activity is engaged in for pleasure, the pleasure is lessened by the distraction and discomfort.
In addition to these physical reactions within the participant there is a social distraction. A woman running along a street or sidewalk with bouncing breasts does attract attention, called-out comments, and honking horns. For many women, this lessens the pleasure in the activity.
The desirability of stabilizing the breasts relative to the torso has long been recognized, for the above reasons among others. Brassieres do exist for the purpose of stabilizing the breasts. Even brassieres worn primarily for routine activities have support in mind. However, the tendency in the prior art is to clamp onto the breasts tightly in a band-like manner, to prevent the breasts from bobbing upwardly. This in itself constitutes a serious restriction on the athletic woman--so much so that many prefer to accept the disadvantages of unbound or of loosely bound breasts.
It is an object of this invention to provide an athletic support brassiere which stabilizes the breasts against excessive bounce and sway, without substantially interferring with the freedom of body movements and easy breathing.